Buying a (semi-pro) football club

Does any know of any semi-professional non-league English football clubs that are looking for potential buyers? Preferably in the North and without a high-level of existing debt - if that's not too much to ask! :)

Would be very interested to know if anyone has any experience in this area they could share?
 
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Wasn't thinking as low as North East or North West Counties level. But at the same time, I appreciate that most teams in the top level of non-league are no longer semi-pro.
So somewhere in-between I suppose!

Tony - Thanks. Will have a look through.
 
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Robyn S

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Always been a dream of mine, but not sure the wife would agree! There are plenty of clubs that come up for sale if you keep your ear to the ground (which I do across the country while ideally dreaming...).

Southport in the Conference North recently came up for sale, which would be a great starting point as a non-league club given the size of the club and potential. Although, I believe they have since been taken over.

I’m sure Kendal Town were after new investors not long ago, but I’m not sure how that ended. The Lake District definitely appealed to me at the time though!

The one that has really caught my eye recently is Altrincham, now of the Evo Stik league (northern premier league level). Who, according to a recent article in FC Business magazine appealing to be taken over, have no debt and apparently a healthy off-field turnover. Although that appears inconsistent with having just been relegated?

Anyway, best of luck.
 
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CW Legal Services

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Along with others we took on Leatherhead FC in July 2000 when they went bust. The degradation and filth the day we walked in was unbelievable. My task was to sort out the debts and books and get a club up and running to get a team on the pitch in 8 weeks . I wrote a constitution that stated the shares would be owned by the fans and the club would have to run at break even. 17 years later and after 2 yeras of profit (i left as I had a marriage and a business to run) there are 15 years of losses and mounting debts and the fans are now treated as dumb cattle as before. Unless you have 500k + to lose, a thick skin and an understanding wife/partner stay clear of non league.as it is a never ending money pit of greedy players and idiot managers who think they are Man U or Arsenal as well as stupid administrators..
 
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STDFR33

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I know of two football club owners.

One owner is a drug dealer and the FC has a high turnover and very good profits.

The second owner sees little return as the club only just makes a profit. The club is bigger than the latter, has a much bigger fan base and does well generating revenue through events.

I'm sure you can see what is happening with owner number 1.

I am led to believe that what owner number 2 sees is the norm.
 
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Thanks for comments.

Just to clarify, I am not looking to ‘invest’ in the sense that I am expecting a return of sorts. I appreciate it isn’t how everyone would choose to spend their hard-earned money, but it is the enjoyment factor and the challenge that attracts me. Within that, I am also not expecting to be able to walk in somewhere, throw a lot of money at it, and become the next Rushden & Diamonds or Fleetwood. Hence, my preference for a semi-pro club.

I have no existing emotional attachment to any one club as I have always nomadically watched non-league or lower league football as I moved around the country with work. I am also specifically looking to avoid anywhere with unmanageable debt or recent history of financial mismanagement. Full respect to those that do, but I am not looking to become a rescue act. That might sound unrealistic, but I am happy to bide my time until the right opportunity comes along.
Also, to be clear following the post above, I am not a drug dealer! :)

Looking at the suggestions above, somewhere like Altrincham appeals. Relatively large semi-pro club (historically at least), and majority stake up for sale. A quick glance at their returns online suggests a surprisingly healthy P&L, off-field income streams, and no debt - although as said above this doesn’t ring true with their struggles on the pitch last season?
But, perhaps the on-field struggles is the reason why the current chairman is looking to move on?

Anyway, definitely food for thought.
 
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tony84

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Ive been to watch Altrincham once or twice. I have no affinity to them, they are just not far away.
I have also been to a couple of charity events that have been held there.

Im not sure Altrincham will ever be a big club, but there is a fairly new bar in there so money is being spent there. The stadium is a bit dated but probably no more than any other similar sized clubs.
 
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Chris Ashdown

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    I would imagine that the Chairman has placed a large amount of loans to the company and will want to retrieve as much as possible by selling his shares

    Also have you thought of the hours that goes into being a chairman everything goes through you, its a full time job done part time, not just turn up for the odd hour here and there

    What sort of money are you looking to spend
     
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    Ive been to watch Altrincham once or twice. I have no affinity to them, they are just not far away.
    I have also been to a couple of charity events that have been held there.

    Im not sure Altrincham will ever be a big club, but there is a fairly new bar in there so money is being spent there. The stadium is a bit dated but probably no more than any other similar sized clubs.

    Perhaps not given the influx of professional sides into non-league. Although it could be said they are much bigger than a lot of current league clubs (Fleetwood, Morecombe, Burton, Accrington, Stevenage, Crawley etc.) were when they started their initial ‘journey’. I.e. before the investment into them.

    Either way, I haven’t the level of investment needed for the ‘Roy of the Rovers’ stuff and an immediate charge into the football league. But I see no reason a club the size of Altrincham (and there are plenty of other examples around too for that matter) can’t hold their own at Conference National level with a certain level of investment, and the right infrastructure to support them.

    Out of interest, do you know if the new bar and facilities at Altrincham does provide the level of turnover suggested in the FC Business article (see previous poster)? My knowledge of the hospitality trade is low, but it seems particularly high from first glance for a regional football club bar. Do you know if it is used regularly during the week, or do they just drink a lot on match days?
     
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    I would imagine that the Chairman has placed a large amount of loans to the company and will want to retrieve as much as possible by selling his shares

    Also have you thought of the hours that goes into being a chairman everything goes through you, its a full time job done part time, not just turn up for the odd hour here and there

    What sort of money are you looking to spend

    Yes, I have my eyes wide open. It's probably not something I could have taken on a few years ago.

    From the article referenced above (and without giving too much credibility to one single source), it says the shares are being sold by the club and not the chairman. With the money paid for a controlling share going back into the club, and not into the pocket of the existing chairman.

    The documents from the recent EGM are on the Comp House website, and appear to confirm this. However, I'm going to get someone better placed than me to look into it and verify this properly.
     
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    CW Legal Services

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    A semi pro football club with very good profits. I have never heard of that. Before anybody talks about profit see the books. All revenues in football go on wages. At the highest level the precentage of income to wages is 53% (Man U) 55%.Arsenal. When you go further down the leagues the revenue to wages is a minus percentage. If we look at Kingstonian FC they sold their ground for 6m and had a new ground and won 2 FA Trophies . They then sold their lease to AFC Wimbledon because of money trouble from high wages and now have no ground and are a tenant of Leatherhead FC. No non league club makes a profit and is successful by winning trophies. A drug dealer who runs a semi pro club. Is that an apocrpyhal story from a fan the other side of the bar?
     
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    CW Legal Services

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    True stories about drug dealers. Really. I can better that one like getting the first trial of John "Goldfinger" Palmer stopped. However, one thing that this thread lacks is how much money G Rout has. Methinks none, and he is like all those people i used to serve in the bar who could run a football club and a bart better than I could. As KenBates once told me over dinner: ". It is easy to run a football club.": " Just match revenues to expenditure" How come only a few clubs can do that..
     
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    STDFR33

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    True stories about drug dealers. Really. I can better that one like getting the first trial of John "Goldfinger" Palmer stopped. However, one thing that this thread lacks is how much money G Rout has. Methinks none, and he is like all those people i used to serve in the bar who could run a football club and a bart better than I could. As KenBates once told me over dinner: ". It is easy to run a football club.": " Just match revenues to expenditure" How come only a few clubs can do that..

    Not everyone on the internet invents lies. If I was going to make one up, I'd make it more spicy than that.

    People in business doing things all manner of dodgy, regardless of their position or social status.
     
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    Noah

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    There are a couple near us in the North West; at least one has been serially "owned" by crooks and lost their ground, and the other seems to be doing OK. If you are serious, I have connections to both and could make discreet enquiries.

    Alternatively, have you considered a rugby club?
     
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